Huge victory for tea party as Eric Cantor falls to Dave Brat

In a stunning upset, the House’s No. 2 Republican, Eric Cantor, lost his primary on Tuesday night to little-known economics professor, Dave Brat.

A possible upset was far off of many observers’ radar screens even heading into Election Day on Tuesday. But the tea-party-backed Brat rode to victory in a campaign that focused heavily on what he said was Cantor’s support for immigration reform that would have resulted in amnesty for illegal immigrants living in the U.S.

The loss by Cantor immediately throws the House Republican leadership into disarray. The Virginia Republican was seen as among the top choices to succeed House Speaker John Boehner.

What made the upset all the more shocking was that Brat had little financial backing for his run. The Washington Post reported Brat had just $40,000 in the bank at the end of March, while Cantor had $2 million. Among those spending independently to support Cantor were the National Association of Realtors and the National Rifle Association.

Brat will now go on to face Democrat Jack Trammell in the general election this November. Trammell is a professor at Randolph-Macon College, where Brat is also a professor.